Collapsible bridge-gate.



S. L. NEELY.

COLLAPS IBLE BRIDGE GATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY r. 1915( Patented Dec.5, 1916.

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COLLAPSIBLE BRIDGE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. l9l 5.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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nn nnn SAMUEL L. NEELY, OF LONGTON, KANSAS.

COLLAPSIBLE BRIDGE-GATE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 11.916.

Application filed May 7, 1915. Serial No. 26,604.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. NEELY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Longton, in the county of Elkand State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Collapsible Bridge- Gates; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The invention relates to a collapsible bridge gate.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical,and comparatively inexpensive collapsible bridge gate designed for useat railroad crossings for preventing automobiles, wagons and variousother vehicles from crossing the railroad track and equipped with innerand outer platform sections normally arranged in an oppositely inclinedelevated position and adapted to sink gently to a horizontal positionwhen there is no train approaching and it is safe to cross a railroadtrack and provided with electrically controlled means for releasing theinner platform section so that the latter will remain in an elevatedposition and effectively prevent a wagon, motor-car or other vehiclefrom crossing the track while a train is approaching.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible bridgegate of this character adapted to permit a'vehicle caught between thegate at the opposite sides of a track to pass over the platforms ofeither gate in leaving the track.

Also the invention has for its object to provide counter-balancingweights for normally maintaining the sections in an elevated positionand for controlling the upward movement of the platform sections underthe influence of the weight to prevent a platform from being liftedquickly and catching the body of an automobile or other vehicle afterthe wheels have left such platform or section.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of acollapsible bridge gate constructed in accordance with this invention,Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same partly in section. Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the motors of thecollapsible bridge gate in a normally open circuit.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the collapsible bridge gate which inpractice is located at each side of a railroad track 1 comprises in itsconstruction inner and outer platform sections 2 and 3 hinged at theiropposite ends at a and 5 by any suitable means and extending upwardlyfrom their hinged ends at an inclination and having their proximate endsarranged contiguous to eachother, the upper or inner end 6 of the outerplatform section 3 beinglocated or extended beneath the adjacent end 7of the inner platform section 2 in order that a motor car, wagon, orother vehicle leaving the track may cross the collapsible bridge gateand depress both of the platform sections 2 and 3. The inner platformsection 2 by extending over the inner end of the outer platform section3 is adapted to depress the latter whether the outer platform section isinterlocked with the inner platform section by the means hereinafterdescribed or not, but when the inner platform section 2 is released fromsuch interlocking means it will be impossible for the outer platformsection 3 when depressed to carry with it the inner platform section.This will cause the inner platform section to be left in an elevatedposition so as to effectively prevent an automobile, wagon or othervehicle from crossing the railroad track. The platform sections 2 and 3which may be of any desired length to suit the distance their inner endssuitable flexible connections which pass over overhead pulleys that aresupported by a frame 11. I

Thecaloles fi) are secured at one end to the 7 platform sections; 2 and3v by anyv suitable means and the weights which operate in verticalcylinders 12 are equipped with piston heads 13 The cylinders which arelocated atopposite sides of the inner portionsof the platformsections 2and 3 are arranged in a verticalposition and are'suitably mounted attheir lower ends'where they are prov ded with inwardly opening valves 1%adapted to permit a? free inletyof air soas not to interfere with theupward movement of the weights when the platform sections 2 and 3 aredepressed The cylinders whichare connected at the valves 1% with theoutside atmosphere byshortpipes 15 or other suitable means are alsoprovided with vent ports 16 whieh'allowv the air to escape slowly fromthecylinders injtlie downwardmovement of the weights so that it will beimpossible for the inner platform section 2 to fiy up sud denly afterthe wheelsof. a vehicle have left thefplatform sections. Thiswillprevent the platform sections 2 from catching the body of anautomobile or other vehicle should the said inner section be releasedfrom the interlocking means while a vehicle is traveling over thecollapsible bridge gate.

In orderto interlock the platform sections and enable the inner platformsection V to be depressed by the outer platform. section when there isno train in the block with whichthe gate is connected the outer platform sectionisequippedat each side with a slidable bar or member 17preferably ar ranged horizontally when the platform sections are at thelimit of their upward movement and provided at its engaging end withdownwardly extending portion or bill 18 to form a hook for engaging anupwardly extend ng lug orsbill 19 carried by the inner platform section2 to coact with the hook of the slidable bar or member 17. V

Thesli dable bar or member 17 which is guided in a suitable casing 20 isurged outwardly with respect to the casing by a coiled "spring 21 housedwithin the casing and nor- (so mally maintaining the hook of theslidable rodior member in position for engaging the innerplatformsection2. This w1ll cause the'inner plat-form section 2 to be depressed theouter platform section 3 when the latter is subjected to the weight ofthe vehicle.

The inner or rear end of the slidable bar or member 17 is connected by acord or cable 22 or other suitable flexible connection with a drum 23 ofan electric motor 2 L The electric motors of both collapsible gates of arailroad crossing are arranged in circuit and are simultaneouslyoperable by electrically controlled'means which is operated when anengine enters the block so that the motors will beeaused to rotate thedrum and withdraw the slidable bars or members from their engagingpositions over the hooks of the inner platform section The two motorsare arranged in a normally open circuit 2 1 which is closed when a trainenters the block. WVhenthe slidable bars or members 17 are withdrawn theouter platform section may be depressed without carrying with it theinner platform section 2 which will be left in an elevated position soas to prevent an automobile or team from reaching the railroad track.Should an automobile or other motor car run on to the outer section 3while the slidable bar or member 17 is withdrawn it must be run off thesame before the said outer platform section can operate the innersection. lVhen such car or vehicle backs off the outer section, thelatter will rise and as soon as the train leaves the block the circuitincluding the motors will be broken and the slidable bars or members 17will be moved forwardly to their engaging positions. The upwardlyextending lugs or projections 19 of the inner platform section 2 areadapted to prevent the slidable bars or members from being withdrawnshould the motor circuit be closed while a vehicle is crossing the gateas there will be sullicient timewhen a train first enters the block forvehicles crossing the track to pass over the same. hen the track isclear and a vehicle is driven on to the outer platform 3, the

latter and the inner platform section will sink gently to a horizontalposition and permit the vehicle to pass over them. After being relievedof the weight of a vehicle the platform sections will be slowly elevatedto their normal inclined positions.

The collapsible bridge gate is preferably arranged between fences and inpractice a suitable signal such as a. bell will be sounded to warnpersons of the approach of a train but any other audible signal. may ofcourse be provided and a collapsible bridge gate or a locking stile orany other suitable means may be provided for preventing foot passengersfrom crossing the railroad track. As the collapsible bridge gate at arailroad crossing will be arranged in circuit with the controlling meansof each track any number of tracks may be employed in connection withone set of gates.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A gate of the class described includingoppositely inclined platform sections hinged at their lower ends andhaving their upper ends arranged adjacent to each other, means foryieldably supporting the same in an elevated position, means forconnecting the adjacent ends of the platform sections to cause the saidsections to be depressed simultaneously when one of the sections isdepressed, and means for disconnecting the sections to permit one of thesections to remain elevated when the other section is depressed.

2. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined platformsections having contiguous upper ends and hinged at their lower or outerends, electrically controlled means carried by one of the sections forengaging the other to cause the sections to move downwardlysimultaneously when one of the sections is subjected to pressure, andmeans for disconnecting the sections to permit one of the sections toremain in an elevated position when the other section is moveddownwardly.

3. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections hinged at their lower ends and havingcontiguous upper ends, one of the sections being extended beneath theother to enable it to be depressed by the latter when the same issubjected to pressure, and means carried by the extended platformsection for detachably engaging it with the other section.

4. A gate of the class described including inner and outer oppositelyinclined depressible platform sections having contiguous upper ends,means for mounting the sections to permit the same to swing upwardly anddownwardly, means for yieldably supporting the sections in an elevatedposition, and electrically controlled means. carried by the outerplatform section and movable inwardly and outwardly to project over theinner platform section and to be withdrawn from such projecting engagingposition.

5. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of thesections and movable inwardly and outwardly to and from a position forengaging the other section and means for operating the said bar.

6. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of thesections and movable inwardly and outwardly to and from a position forengaging the other section, a spring for urging the bar in one directionand a motor connected with the bar for moving the same in the oppositedirection.

7. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of thesections and movable inwardly and out wardly to and from a position forengaging the other section, a spring for urging the bar in onedirection, a motor having a drum and a flexible connection arranged tobe wound around the drum and connected with the slidable bar for movingthe same against the action of the spring.

8. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections having adjacent upper ends, the upper endof one of the platform sections being provided with relatively rigidprojecting means and a movable device carried by the other platformsection and normally arranged to engage with the said projecting meansto connect the sections, said movable device being adapted to hold themovable device in such engagement when the platform having the saidmovable means is subjected to pressure, and means for withdrawing themovable device to disconnect the sections.

9. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections tocause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections issubjected to pressure and means for releasing the platform sections topermit one of the same to remain in an elevated position when the otheris detached and counter-balancing weights connected with the platformsections for yieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position,said weights being movable upwardly and downwardly and means forcontrolling the downward movement of the weights to cause a slow upwardmovement of the platform sections.

10. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections tocause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections isdepressed, means for releasing the platform sections to permit one ofthe same to remain in an elevated position when the other is depressed,counter-balancing weights connected with the platform sections foryieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position, said weightsbeing movable upwardly and downwardly, and cylinders receiving theweights and having pneumatic means for controlling the downward movementof the same.

11. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclineddepressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections tocause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections isdepressed, means for releasing the platform sections to permit one ofthe same to remain in an elevated position when the other section isdepressed, counter-balancing weights connected with the platformsections for yieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position,said weights being movable upwardlynnddownwardly, cylinders receiving"In testimony whereof I aifix my signature the Weights and provlded withlnwardly in presence of two Witnesses.

opening valves and having Vent ports and SAMUEL L. NEELY. piston, headscarried by the heads and 0p- Witnesses: '5 erating in the eylinders tocause afslow MICAJAH D. ORGAN,

i V downward movement of the Weights. JOHN DUNLOP.

"Gopiesof this patent may be pbtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Y Washington, D. G.

